EEExxxaaammmpppllleee 111999...111,,, “““DDDooonnn’’’ttt SSStttaaannnddd SSSooo CCClllooossseee tttooo MMMeee,,,””” TTThhheee PPPooolll iiiccceee (((111999888000))) Background The Police, one of the most talented acts of the 1980s, successfully fused elements of punk, new-wave, and reggae music to forge a new direction for popular music. The group’s early material didn’t so much combine these elements as place them side by side—their first album, Outlandos d'Amour (1979), includes not only such hard-edged punk-like songs as “Next To You” and “Peanuts,” but also the heavily reggae-inflected hits “Roxanne” and “Can’t Stand Losing You.” During the course of their short recording career (their recorded their last studio album, Synchronicity, in 1983), however, they would develop a sound that integrated elements of these and other musical idioms, unveiling hit after hit, each offering its own unique blend of preexisting and new musical styles. In 2007, the band reunited its hiatus of more than twenty years only increasing its appeal; most venues on its world tour sold out within hours—in some cases, minutes—of tickets going on sale. Timed listening guide “Don’t Stand So Close to Me,” a hit single from the 1980 album Zenyattà Mondatta, showcases the Police’s ability to capture the airy textures and floating rhythms of reggae without precisely replicating its rhythmic features. The lyric tells of the discomfort experienced by a schoolteacher as a result a student’s crush. The musical setting expresses this tension in numerous ways, including the suspenseful, foreboding opening, the unsettled, oscillating harmonies, the subtle timekeeping, and the odd, voiceless statement of the final verse. All of these features seem to underscore the uneasy state of mind of the young teacher who asks the student to keep her distance, but may wish her next to him as he says it. 0:00 Intro An ominous bass-register drone begins the song. Guitarist Andy Summers performs a

nervous riff over the drone, which shifts briefly to another note and then quickly returns. Summers and drummer Steward Copeland lay down a light reggae-inflected groove, preparing for Sting’s vocal entrance.

Verse 1 0:36 Young teacher, the subject of schoolgirl

fantasies… Sting, a high-voiced tenor, sings the first verse in an atypically low register, accompanying himself in harmony for the third and fourth lines. Summers shifts from his reggae groove to one rhythmically in unison with Sting’s vocal line. Copeland keeps his line simple, using kick drum, snare drum, and hi-hat

Chorus 1 1:03 Don’t stand, don’t stand so… The chorus is marked by a move to the major mode. Summers picks a bright series of

chords, and Copeland plays a characteristically active and unpredictable ride-cymbal line that brings the section to life.

Verse 2 1:19 Her friends are so jealous… The intensity increases as Sting sings a full octave higher than he had in the first

verse, accompanying his own vocals at a higher register yet. Copeland’s drumming becomes more active, and Sting’s bouncier bass line replaces the drone from the first verse. Summers proceeds as before.

Chorus 2 1:46 Don’t stand, don’t stand so… Verse 3 2:01 Loose talk in the classroom… Sting’s singing (apart from the change in lyrics), his bass-playing, and Summers’s

guitar line remain unchanged, but Copeland’s drumming, subtly, becomes more assertive in the final verse.

Chorus 3 2:28 Don’t stand, don’t stand so… Summers continues his guitar “tag” to the chorus twice as long as before, building the

listener’s suspense as to what will come next. Verse 4 2:47 There are no discernable lyrics in the fourth verse—instead, synthesizer swells mix

with various indefinable noises as the Police lay down the groove from the verse with increased energy. In the distance, Sting’s melodic moans float in and out.

Chorus 4 3:14 Don’t stand, don’t stand so… The final chorus repeats until it fades out, with the added element of a new vocal line

(“please don’t stand so close to me”) that Sting sings over the top of his other lines. Copeland is more active than ever, making creative use of both hi-hat and ride cymbal.

Key Features Unresolved lyrics about an unresolved situation. Words and melody in the forefront. Oscillating harmony—indicating oscillating emotions? Reggae-inspired rhythms avoid the first beat.